Kate and William bring home royal baby boy

Just Watched

Big day for Britain's newest royal

Story highlights

William and Catherine take their newborn prince home "like a normal couple"

William has changed his first diaper, but the royal couple is "still working on a name"

Catherine's parents are thrilled to meet baby, say he is "absolutely beautiful"

Ceremonial gun salutes and peals of bells for the new prince resound across London

They looked like "a normal couple" as they left the hospital, one bystander said.

Of course, most normal couples don't have a crowd of reporters, photographers and random well-wishers waiting for them to show off their new baby.

Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, emerged from St. Mary's Hospital in London on Tuesday evening to give the public its first view of the new heir to the British throne, joking that the still-unnamed boy had more hair than his father. Catherine and William took turns holding the child, wrapped in a cream-colored blanket, as they waved to well-wishers outside.

The couple is "still working on a name," William said, "so we'll have that as soon as we can." But he added, "He's got her looks, thankfully."

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby 18 photos

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – Prince George takes his first steps in public as his mother, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, holds his hand Sunday, June 15, at a charity polo event in Cirencester, England.

Hide Caption

1 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – Prince William and Catherine with Prince George appear in a family portrait at Kensington Palace in March.

Hide Caption

2 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – Prince William and Catherine leave with their son after the baby's christening in London on October 23. At right is the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

Hide Caption

3 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – Catherine carries her son after his christening.

Hide Caption

4 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – The couple poses with Prince George in early August at the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, England.

Hide Caption

5 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – The family is seen in August along with Tilly, left, a Middleton family pet, and Lupo, the couple's cocker spaniel.

Hide Caption

6 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – The Duke and Duchess depart St. Mary's Hospital in London with their newborn son on July 23. The boy was born at 4:24 p.m. a day earlier, weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces.

Hide Caption

7 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – Catherine holds the baby outside the hospital for the public's first view.

Hide Caption

8 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – The new parents stand in front of the Lindo Wing of the hospital.

Hide Caption

9 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – A Kensington Palace spokesman said, "Mother, son and father are all doing well this morning."

Hide Caption

10 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – Catherine hands the baby off to William.

Hide Caption

11 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – "He's got her looks, thankfully," William said.

Hide Caption

12 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – "It's very special," William said after the baby's birth. The prince had already changed his son's first diaper, the couple told reporters.

Hide Caption

13 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – The new parents leave the hospital with William carrying the boy out in a car seat and installing him in the back of a black SUV.

Hide Caption

14 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – The newborn sits in his car seat for the ride home.

Hide Caption

15 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – Prince William gets ready to depart St. Mary's Hospital.

Hide Caption

16 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – Catherine waves to the crowd gathered outside the hospital.

Hide Caption

17 of 18

Photos: Prince George, the royal baby18 photos

Prince George, the royal baby – Well-wishers see the royal couple off after getting a glimpse of the newest heir to the British throne.

Hide Caption

18 of 18

EXPAND GALLERY

What will royal baby's name be? 9 photos

What will royal baby's name be?9 photos

What will royal baby's name be? – The first child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Catherine, was born on Monday, July 22. Speculation is rife as to what name they will choose for the new heir to the British throne.

Hide Caption

1 of 9

What will royal baby's name be?9 photos

What will royal baby's name be? – The British royal family tends to opt for very traditional names, often referencing monarchs of the past. Queen Elizabeth II is seen here in 1951 with Prince Philip, and a young Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

Hide Caption

2 of 9

What will royal baby's name be?9 photos

What will royal baby's name be? – George is the current front-runner should the new baby turn out to be a boy. There have been six previous King Georges, the most recent being the current queen's father -- though he was known by friends and family as Bertie.

Hide Caption

3 of 9

What will royal baby's name be?9 photos

What will royal baby's name be? – Prior to the birth announcement of a baby boy, Alexandra was hotly-tipped as the frontrunner should the baby be a girl, with Charlotte running in second place and Victoria -- after Queen Victoria -- as third favorite.

Hide Caption

4 of 9

What will royal baby's name be?9 photos

What will royal baby's name be? – Before Catherine gave birth to a baby boy, experts said Diana could be a potential middle name if the new arrival was a girl, in tribute to Prince William's mother -- the baby's grandmother -- who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

Hide Caption

5 of 9

What will royal baby's name be?9 photos

What will royal baby's name be? – Certain choices are believed to be off-limits as first names -- Edward is unlikely to be picked, since King Edward VIII caused a scandal in 1936, abdicating the throne in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

Hide Caption

6 of 9

What will royal baby's name be?9 photos

What will royal baby's name be? – In recent years some minor royals have moved away from "regal" to more fashionable modern choices. Queen Elizabeth II's grandson Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn named their daughters Savannah and Isla.

Hide Caption

7 of 9

What will royal baby's name be?9 photos

What will royal baby's name be? – British bookmakers also took bets on some more unusual names, including Alberta, perhaps in recognition of the Duke and Duchess's hugely successful trip to Canada in 2011.

Hide Caption

8 of 9

What will royal baby's name be?9 photos

What will royal baby's name be? – You can even wager -- at odds of 500/1 -- that William and Kate will name the royal baby Elvis, after a monarch of a completely different kind: the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," Elvis Presley.

Hide Caption

9 of 9

EXPAND GALLERY

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival 29 photos

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – The Auckland War Memorial Museum in New Zealand is lit blue on Wednesday, July 24, to celebrate the birth of a baby boy to Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. Catherine gave birth to the boy at 4:24 p.m. July 22. He weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces. A name has not been announced for the child, who is third in line to the British throne.

Hide Caption

1 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Members of the Honourable Artillery Company fire a salute at the Tower of London on Tuesday, July 23, to mark the birth of a son to Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

Hide Caption

2 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – People gather outside Buckingham Palace in London on July 23 to read the notice announcing the birth of the royal baby. The news was placed in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace on July 22.

Hide Caption

3 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – A man reads a copy of British tabloid The Sun, renamed "The Son," on July 23.

Hide Caption

4 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Empty bottles of alcohol sit outside Buckingham Palace in London on July 23.

Hide Caption

5 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Crew members of the British warship HMS Lancaster celebrate the birth of the royal baby on patrol in the Caribbean in a handout photo released July 23.

Hide Caption

6 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival – A sand sculpture was created by sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik to celebrate the birth in Puri, India, on July 23.

Hide Caption

7 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Crowds push forward to see the birth announcement on Monday, July 22.

Hide Caption

8 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – People clamor for their chance to see and photograph the birth announcement that was placed on a golden easel by the queen's press secretary on July 22.

Hide Caption

9 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – The London Eye Ferris wheel on the banks of the Thames is lit up in red, blue and white to mark the birth of the boy on July 22.

Hide Caption

10 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – The fountains at Trafalgar Square are lit blue to signify the birth of a boy on July 22.

Hide Caption

11 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Royal fans celebrate the announcement of the birth of a boy to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at St. Mary's Hospital in London on July 22.

Hide Caption

12 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Hayley Simmonds, an employee at the British restaurant and grocery Tea & Sympathy, celebrates the birth on July 22 by hanging a sign in the store's window in New York.

Hide Caption

13 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Karen Milne, left, of Scotland wears a mask of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, as she and friends celebrate the royal birth at Ye Olde King's Head English Pub in Santa Monica, California, on July 22.

Hide Caption

14 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Revelers crowd against the railing of Buckingham Palace in London after an official notice proclaiming the birth was put on display on July 22.

Hide Caption

15 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace on July 22 after the announcement of the birth.

Hide Caption

16 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – The queen's press secretary, Ailsa Anderson, left, and Badar Azim, a palace footman, place the official birth announcement on a golden easel in front of Buckingham Palace on July 22.

Hide Caption

17 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace cheer as Anderson places the birth announcement in front of the palace on July 22.

Hide Caption

18 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – A town crier reads the announcement of the birth outside the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London on July 22.

Hide Caption

19 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Two of the gynecologists who attended to the duchess, Marcus Setchell, center, and Alan Farthing, right, leave the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital on July 22.

Hide Caption

20 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Media gather outside the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London on July 22 as they await news of the birth.

Hide Caption

21 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace in London as news of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge's, labor arrives on July 22.

Hide Caption

22 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – A Buckingham Palace official on July 22 hands the birth announcement to a colleague in a car to be driven from St. Mary's Hospital in London to Buckingham Palace.

Hide Caption

23 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Police guard the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital in London as crowds gather and await news of the birth of the first child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on July 22.

Hide Caption

24 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Royal supporters are interviewed by a television crew outside St. Mary's Hospital on July 22.

Hide Caption

25 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Crowds gather behind a barricade outside St. Mary's Hospital as they wait for news of the birth on July 22.

Hide Caption

26 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Hospital staff look out over a gathering crowd at St. Mary's Hospital in London on July 22.

Hide Caption

27 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Royal fan Teba Diatta stands outside St. Mary's Hospital with a cake decorated for the occasion on July 22.

Hide Caption

28 of 29

Photos: Reaction to royal baby's arrival29 photos

Reaction to royal baby's arrival – Royal supporter Margaret Tyler holds decorative balloons as she waits outside St. Mary's Hospital in London on Saturday, July 20.

Just Watched

William, Kate and baby leave hospital

The prince has already changed his first diaper, the couple told reporters.

"It's very emotional. It's such a special time," Catherine said.

The couple left the hospital Tuesday evening, with William carrying the boy out in a car seat and installing him in the back of a black SUV. Then he got behind the wheel for the trip to their residence at Kensington Palace.

On their way out, they walked out down the same steps where Diana, Princess of Wales, and Prince Charles gave the world its first look at Prince William 31 years ago.

"It was so exciting. It was fantastic," said Eliza Wells, one of those gathered outside the hospital. "The crowd erupted, because everyone's been waiting so long for it."

William and Catherine "both seemed very relaxed, even with the press there and the crowd," Wells said. "They just seemed like a normal couple."

Shortly before the departure, Charles stopped by for a brief visit with his first grandchild, accompanied by his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. He told reporters it was "marvelous."

And Catherine's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, visited earlier, with Carole Middleton telling reporters the royal baby is "absolutely beautiful."

She said both mother and baby are doing "really well" and that she and her husband were "so thrilled" at being grandparents.

The 8-pound, 6-ounce boy was born Monday afternoon. He's third in line, behind Charles and William, for the British throne now held by his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Tuesday, London echoed with the sound of cannonades and music to mark the birth.

Guardsmen at Buckingham Palace, the queen's residence, played the Cliff Richard song "Congratulations" at the Changing of the Guard. The military ceremony, much beloved by tourists, involves a new guard exchanging duty with the old guard in the palace forecourt.

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Green Park fired 41 shots in tribute to the boy, while the Honorable Artillery Company at the Tower of London fired 62 rounds.

At the same time the bells of Westminster Abbey, where William and Catherine were married in April 2011, began to peal, in keeping with royal tradition, and were set to continue for more than three hours.

The news of the boy's birth, announced about four hours after the event Monday, prompted cheers and celebration among the crowds of well-wishers outside Buckingham Palace. At least one group of well-wishers brought flowers, champagne and a card for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Social media networks were also abuzz with the news, which made headlines around the world.

'We could not be happier'

The new parents spent some time with their baby before calling family members -- starting with the queen -- to announce the birth, a Kensington Palace source told CNN royal correspondent Max Foster.

"We could not be happier," said Prince William, according to the Kensington Palace source.

Prince William remained at Catherine's side throughout the labor, and the baby was born naturally. An official bulletin was placed on a gilded easel outside Buckingham Palace.

Will and Kate: Modern royal parents?

Just Watched

Kate follows in Diana's footsteps

It was a long wait for the media camped outside St. Mary's Hospital, but when the news of the birth finally came, the excitement of the moment was huge.

The Sun newspaper, Britain's best-selling tabloid daily, changed its masthead Tuesday to "The Son" to mark the occasion, above a picture of the official birth announcement, while the Daily Express and Telegraph emblazoned "It's a boy" across their front pages.

Recognizing that excitement over the prince's arrival is not universal, the Guardian newspaper's website lets users switch to a royal baby-free version of the home page. The front page of UK satirical magazine Private Eye simply says: "Woman has baby."

British Prime Minister David Cameron said, "It is an important moment in the life of our nation, but I suppose above all, it's a wonderful moment for a warm and loving couple who got a brand new baby boy."

Tributes around the world

The British monarch is also head of state in 15 Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Belize and Jamaica.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered his country's congratulations on the birth of a future king.

"The arrival of the newest member of the Royal Family, a future Sovereign of Canada, is a highly anticipated moment for Canadians given the special and warm relationship that we share with our Royal Family," he said in a statement.

"The child enters the world at a time of promise and opportunity for our two nations," the U.S. president and first lady said in a statement. "Given the special relationship between us, the American people are pleased to join with the people of the United Kingdom as they celebrate the birth of the young prince."

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also sent their congratulations.

On Twitter, topics related to the royal baby jumped to the top of the trending list in the United Kingdom on Monday morning. Worldwide, hashtags such as #RoyalBabyBoy and #Will & Kate were trending later Monday.

In a nod to modern times, Clarence House called for people to send news and images of any other new arrivals using the hashtag #WelcometotheWorld.